Page 39 of Till Forever Falls Apart
He held his hand out. “It’s really nice to meet you, Sebastian. Aria has told me all about you.” He grinned.
I hesitated for a beat, my eyes drifting from his face to his hand, then I took hold of it, shaking it a little more firmly than I normally would, and smiled back.
At least I didn’t have to worry about him saying anything if he was acting like he didn’t know me.
“All good, I hope?”
He let out a breath through his nose. “I’ve never known Aria to say a bad word about anyone. Unless there’s something she doesn’t know?”
Fucking piece of shit.
Aria rolled her eyes and tapped Callum on the arm. “Stop messing about, you.” She turned to look at me. “Callum likes to joke around.”
“Oh, does he now.”
“Come in, Callum. I made your favourite.” She stepped away from me, linking her arm through his, and started to walk further into the house.
I screwed my face, slamming the door, and as I turned, they were both staring at me. “The wind caught it.”
Aria looked at me oddly, the kind of look that said she didn’t believe me. Shit. I needed to calm down, or she would suspect something.
I needed to find out what he was playing at.
“Aria, why don’t I take Callum into the dining room for a drink while you finish up with the food?”
“That’s a really good idea. You two can get to know each other.”
Or I could kill him and cover up his murder in the space of twenty minutes without her realising, and act like he had to rush off on urgent business.
It was totally doable.
I stalked over to them, and Callum held his hand out, telling me to lead the way. Oh, I’d lead the way all right, in my own damn house.
Aria went back into the kitchen, and Callum followed me to the dining room.
Standing at the end of the table, I picked up the whisky and started to pour.
“Aria always loved butterflies,” Callum said.
He ran his fingers over the table runner and slowly moseyed around the table, until he’d reached the other end and was facing me. I picked up both glasses, standing tall, shoulders back as Istrode over to him. He needed to know who was in control here. I held out a glass.
He looked at it, then his eyes flicked to meet mine. “Poison in there?”
I let out a little chuckle. “If I were going to kill you, it wouldn’t be poison. I’d make you bleed out slowly,” I said, my voice low but controlled.
He took the glass and swirled it before taking a sip. A silent tension filled the room around us.
“Do you remember what I said to you the last time you were in London?”
“That you’d kill me?” He looked unfazed. “Aria is worth the risk.”
“Leave her the fuck alone,” I said through gritted teeth, downing my drink and slamming the glass on the table.
He took another sip of the amber liquid. “I’m not here to cause trouble. I care a lot about Aria. I always have.”
“It sure sounded that way when you threatened to give her up to Jason if I didn’t stay away last year.”
He pressed his lips together. “It’s called a bluff, Sebastian. And you took it. I’d have never done that to her, but I needed you to stay away from us. I didn’t want a war. Jason would have gone all in, and we would have lost a lot of men. I’m in the business of keeping mine alive. Well, the loyal ones, anyway.”
